The word of a Prince
by Pengellyn
Summary: Midas, a young elf, is captured by slave traders. He is expected to help them capture another elf, but things change when he finds himself face to face with Prince Legolas. One shot. please R R


**AN: Unfortunately, I do not speak Elvish, and ATM I cannot find a decent translator. So, if speech is in _Italics, _They are speaking in Elvish. I apologise if it goes a bit cliche at the end...**

**Please review, although I will not add any more to this story, I may write others :D**

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><p>It was almost a month since they captured me. I had wandered away from the rest of the Elves to be alone, and they found me. Rogue men from Gondor, they wanted only to find the ring and aquire power over all. I knew little about the ring, all I knew was that my masters were obsessed with it. They said they would be more powerful than kings once they had it. Like most men, power was all they wanted. Power and money. That was why they planned to sell me as a slave as soon as they reached Helladas, a small slave village to the east. I was a young elf, looks wise I was perhaps 15 years old (In reality, I was much older, as elves live far longer than men. But I was still technically a child, with a child's mindset), I had short blonde hair and strong blue eyes, and they reckoned I would fetch a high price at Helladas. Until then, I was in their power. The only chance I had of survival was to follow their orders.<p>

Today, they were postponing their hunt for the ring, as one of the scouts they employed had told them that another elf was to pass this way, they planned to capture him and his companions and sell them too, as we were almost at Helladas now. (We would be there within a day.) I was to help to capture them, or I would be killed. Too much of a coward to risk my own life, I would oblige.

I was crouched I the bushes, I was placed at the front, where I and a few of my masters would take them from in front, then the others would come out of hiding and take them captive. If I tried anything funny, Master Alseth had his eye on me, and would shoot me with his crossbow. He wouldn't miss either; he was the best shot in the group.

Footsteps came in the distance, and we all crouched in position, ready to take them. But it turned out to be one of the scouts. He whispered something to Master Cayden and ran off. Turned out there was a change of plan, the Elf and his party had separated, the elf was still headed our way towards the edge of the forest (Where he could check the perimeter for danger) but the others (A man and a dwarf) had taken another path.

Our group separated, many following the Man and the Dwarf, but I was told to remain with master Alseth to capture the elf. The men were smart enough to know that we wouldn't hear him coming, as elves run so silently, and we would have to keep an eye out. All too quickly, he appeared over the hill, and Master Alseth signalled for me to go. Armed with just a sword – that I was not trained to use, I ran out in front of the elf, ashamed that I was about to assist in the capture of one of my own. Although my moves were fast, they were no match for a grown elf, and after shooting master Alseth, he was soon holding his arrow aimed right at my chest. I looked at his face. And I dropped to my knees.

This was not just another elf, this was Prince Legolas, of the Woodland Realm.

'My Prince….' I looked to the ground

Maste Alseth cried out painfully.

'What are you doing, child? You have your orders!'

'No orders can come above those of the Prince of my own people…' I said, mostly to myself but loud enough that Master Alseth could hear me. I then said to the prince, in our own language, _'Forgive me, sir.'_

'Legolas!' I saw that his companions had arrived. A small smile escaped my lips, for this meant that my masters had not succeeded.

'We could have done with a spot of help back there, laddie!' The dwarf said. Legolas lowered his bow and turned to his companions.

'We were ambushed.' The man sounded angry. Quite rightly, to be fair. I decided the best thing I could do would be to get out of here, and fast. I stood up, brushed myself off and turned to walk away. Finally I was free from the clutches of men, I could go to find my own people again.

Suddenly, a fiery pain shot through my shoulder, I yelled, and I collapsed under the pain, I turned my head and saw Master Alseth sat up, with his crossbow in his hands. An arrow stuck out from his ribs where Legolas had shot him. After seeing that his crossbow bolt had hit me, he grinned, and lay back down in pain. Prince Legolas looked over to me, his dwarf companion shouting 'Leave him; he's with the men who ambushed us. Let them sort out their own fights.'

The man, who had long scruffy black hair, saw me for the first time, and he looked a bit surprised.

'He's not a man, Gimli.' He told the dwarf, and ran over to me. Clutching my shoulder, I tried to scramble away across the rough soil. Even with My Prince around I didn't trust men any more. I no longer had my sword, but the man was still armed.

'_It's alright, I will not harm you, be calm.' _It was wonderful to hear the language of my people again. However… that was not the Princes' voice. It belonged to the man. I stopped trying to get away. It was very uncommon for a man to speak Elvish

'_My name is Aragorn. I can help… May I..?' _ He gestured to my injured shoulder. Hesitating a little, I nodded and stood up. Slowly, he walked behind me and looked at my wound. I flinched as he touched it, still unsure whether I could trust him.

'_It's not too deep. It will heal, in time.' _He walked back over to Prince Legolas.

'Why did you ambush us in the first place?' It was Gimli this time. I don't think he could speak Elvish.

'I had no choice. They wanted to capture you, especially Prince Legolas. They were headed for Helladas, for the slave market.'

'Slave traders…' The dwarf almost spat on the ground as he said it.

'That's why they had you…' It was the first time I had heard Prince Legolas speak. His voice almost made me jump.

'They said an elf would fetch a high price at the market, and that two would fetch an even higher one._ Sir, I'm sorry, but they said they would kill me if I did not help them.'_ As I said it, I realised that it had been an empty threat. My Masters were men almost driven mad for their love of money, I was worth too much. They would not have killed me for tomorrow they would have sold me. 'Lord Aragorn… Forgive me for asking, sir. But… the others? They went to find you?'

'Those men have been dealt with.'

I suppose I was glad. Though I would never have wished death on anybody, it meant they couldn't come after me again. I sat down on a rock. Just a few hours ago I was walking with my hands bound, ready to be sold as a slave. Now I was free.

'What is your name?_' _Aragorn asked

'Midas'

'Midas. I'm afraid we must leave you now. You will be quite safe. The men that attacked us are now dead, and we must continue our journey.'

Before they left, Prince Legolas said one last thing to me.

'_All is forgiven, Midas.'_

No sooner had they left me alone, I heard a noise in the bushes behind me. It was very slight, and even with my heightened elven senses I barely noticed at first. But it got louder, and I soon realised that it was coming from several angles. I was NOT alone.

Suddenly, I was shoved from the rock I was sat on, so I lay on my back, and a sword was held to my throat. Master Cayden was still alive! He was joined by a few others whom I knew, but I did not know their names.

'A few of us had the sense to hide. That was a dirty trick back there, Elf. You'll pay for Alseths' death. Or rather, someone else will. Seems you'll be sold tomorrow after all.'

He trod on my shoulder, pushing the wound into the dirt. That hurt more than anything I had ever experienced and I writhed in pain. Master Cayden laughed at me, then spat in my face and told me to get up.

Once again, I found my hands bound.

Helladas Slave Market was a busy place, slaves were herded into small pens with high fences, except those who were being sold for the most money, like me, who were tied by our hands to rings high above our heads, most of us couldn't touch the ground, and we just had to hang there. There were few elves, and the few of us there were stuck out like sore thumbs. We were less scruffy (Mostly because we were more likely to fetch a high price) and we were dressed differently.

I saw a man watching me and glared at him. He walked away. Pulling at my bonds didn't do much good; just hurt my shoulder and the noise attracted people's attention. Master Cayden cuffed the side of my head for it, saying I was determined to lose him money (Well… Duh!) Therefore, I made as much noise as I could to annoy him.

Master Cayden grabbed me by the chin. He hit the side of my head again and told me to shut up. I wriggled, which hurt like hell but I didn't care, I had to get away. All of a sudden, I found my feet firmly on the ground. Looking up, I saw the rope had been cut with an arrow. I knew it had to be one of my own kind, nobody else could shoot like that. Master Cayden, now looking for some poor soul to try and sell me to, hadn't noticed. I ran. It was all I could think of, I would never have time to save any of the other slaves, so I just ran. As I vanished into the crowd as well as an elf could, I heard Master Cayden shout, but I kept running, not looking back shoving past people in my attempts to get back to the shelter of the forest. Finally I found myself there, but still I ran until suddenly, 'THUMP!' I ran into somebody in my panic and stumbled to the ground. Looking up I found it was the Dwarf – Gimli.

'Sorry.' I said, and got up to keep running, but with strong hands he grabbed my arm to stop me.

'Stay here lad.'

'But…' I looked back to Master Cayden, who was fast approaching. I could hear him shouting at me.

'When I get my hands on you, filthy little elf… you are going to regret this…' He was almost upon us, with a sword in his hand, I gulped and backed away a little, when I realised there were now 3 figures between him and me. There was a ringing in my head from where he had hit me, and I could no longer hear what was being said, but after a few moments I saw Master Cayden walk away angrily.

My head began to cloud and I sat down on the ground as I began to black out….

When I woke I was still in the forest, but a camp had been made. I sat up, wincing a little as my shoulder seized up.

'Aah! You're awake! Finally…' Gimli said. I wasn't sure if he was grumpy at me or if he was just generally grumpy. Considering he was a dwarf I was going with the latter. It confused my why Prince Legolas was on a journey with a dwarf and a man, but I never dared ask.

'He must have hit you hard.' Said Aragorn. 'You've been out a long time.' I just nodded. To be honest, I couldn't remember much, and had very little desire to do so. Running my hands through my short hair I wondered what I would do next. Master Cayden wouldn't give up easily. I had hurt his pride, bad. Of course he would come looking for me; if not to sell me, to kill me. I rested my head in my hands, and did not notice Prince Legolas standing next to me. When I moved my hands, I stood up in surprise. Aragorn laughed at this.

'Watch him, Legolas, he's a bit jumpy!'

'No wonder, I should think, you saw yourself what he's been through, Aragorn.' Nevertheless, the Prince smiled at Aragorn's comment. 'Are you hungry?' He handed me a small packet wrapped in green leaves. I recognised it at once as Lembas. I took it gratefully and ate a small section. When I had finished, I handed the rest back to him, but he declined, telling me to keep it.

'I should go, sir. I do not wish to be a burden, and Master Cayden will soon come after me. I have to get away,_' _Aragorn looked at me when I said this

'Why do you call him 'Master'? He has no power over you now?'

Prince Legolas answered the question for me, speaking quietly and in Elvish.

'_Because he is afraid of him. He is only a child, Aragorn. Emotions – especially fear, run deep in children.' _I looked at the ground. Aragorn walked away, contemplating this. I asked the question that had been bugging me the whole time.

'_Sir… Why did you save me? I nearly killed you…'_

'_Because, when I was young, I was taken by slave traders too. I was lucky, I escaped. But I spent many nights wondering what could have happened. I didn't want any of those things to happen to one of my people. Besides, you didn't kill me.' _He gave me a gentle smile. '_You are an Elf, Midas. You are smart, fast… go now, and Cayden's men will never catch you. You will reach home long before he does.'_

'_Thank you, My Prince.' _I bowed low, and went on my way.

I will forever remember the wise words of Prince Legolas. They have kept me safe since. Cayden's men never caught me, though they were stubborn, there were a few close shaves.

When Prince Legolas returned from his quest he came to find me. Just to make sure I had got home safe all that time ago. The people's prince, for sure.


End file.
